Sex in air, stupidity in courtroom?

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A Thompson man was convicted of rape, but won't go to jail because, according to the judge, the victim sent signals that 'sex was in the air.' Some of our readers responded by turning the air blue.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/02/2011 (4798 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Thompson man was convicted of rape, but won’t go to jail because, according to the judge, the victim sent signals that ‘sex was in the air.’ Some of our readers responded by turning the air blue.

I wonder what would be the result if it was a man on man. Would they say the guy was wearing tight jeans, he was asking for it?

— M11

Forced intercourse is rape even if his date was promiscuous. I agree there are mitigating circumstances that should influence sentencing. In this case the judge took this into consideration a sentence in the range between probation and a short prison term seems in order. Some other rapes or sexual assault cases deserve up to life in prison. This case demonstrates why minimum sentencing laws make no sense.

What is this, the 19th century? Great precedent being set: “It’s OK to rape a woman if she agreed to go on a date with you, dressed up nice, and was flirting.” I’m a woman and I give men more credit than that. Men are not so stupid or sex-hungry that how a woman dresses or acts is going to turn a nice, well-to-do man into a rapist.

— ekrh

Some women have to learn when to say stop before it’s too late. Not only in regards to sex, but in regards to booze too. We all know that overindulging is not good, and sometimes can loosen morals.

Dewar is right in his decision, but maybe he should have charged the victim too.

You don’t bait a fish, then charge the fish with rape when it bites the bait.

— Senior Lady

I don’t understand these girls. They walk around half naked and flirt with everyone and then they wonder why they get raped. As far as I’m concerned you get what you ask for. What the hell did she expect when she went into the bush with this guy? A picnic? She gets no sympathy from me that’s for sure.

— dansue

What a load of crap. So basically what this judge is saying, the next time I see a gal wearing yoga pants and a tank top, I can jump on her and have sex whether she likes it or not cuz those yoga pants show off her a$$, and the tank top reveals her breasts and she had eyeliner on — all of it suggesting “DO ME.”

— big_dog

This sentencing makes me sadder than I thought possible. As a rape survivor I have to say no always means no. There is no excuse for what this man did to her nor will she ever truly get over it. He has taken something that can never be returned and it will continue to haunt her and affect all of her relationships with men for the rest of her life. Shame on you judge for even considering this sentencing. You just gave a lot of men the green light to fufil their sicko fantasies and use this as a defence for their own shortfallings as a human being. She was not just a provocatively dressed woman, she is someone’s daughter may perhaps one day become a wife and a mother as well. He had no right to do what he did no matter what and that is the bottom line.

— WPG Lady

If we interpret every tube top we see in the summer as an invitation for sex, maybe we need to start interpreting every old boy sitting in a court room in a black robe as an invitation to kick him in the arse.

— Norm Peterson

I guess we women all have to wear burkas otherwise we are just asking for it. Today I am wearing a dress, high heeled boots and plenty of make up. I guess I’m asking for it too.

— Daff

I won’t touch the subject of whether this sentence is fair. What I will say is that I remember all my girlfriends who used to get all dressed up and get so drunk that they didn’t remember a thing the next day. I used to say “Watch out, girls. You’re putting yourself in some scary situations.” Eventually, one of them was sexually assaulted, at a party where she thought she was among friends. No one deserves rape; we owe it to ourselves to be careful, though! I am not saying that being drunk means it’s your fault if you’re raped. It’s never your fault. No DOES mean no. I just remember feeling like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop when those girls went out to party with whoever was around.

— jroc

This is so anti-woman. If a man were assaulted and robbed while walking down a dark alley in the bad part of town at 2 am, would the robber be given a lighter sentence because the man shouldn’t have been there? Sex offenders are apparently society’s most detested population — unless, ya know, the chick was wearing a low cut top.

— ktharker

I have the right to flirt with a man and even go skinny dipping in a lake if I choose, without the fear of forced sexual contact! There’s a BIG difference between returning a kiss and intercourse! What message is this sending to society? As long as a woman has flirted with you in an intoxicated state and given you a few kisses you may force her into sexual acts as long as you are unarmed? This is also sending a GREAT message to today’s hormonal youth, whom often drink underage and make poor choices!

— JUSTaThought

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